Hillary Clinton formally took up the mantle as leader of the Democratic Party last night, making history. Meanwhile, Republicans on Twitter wondered how they lost their message, some Sanders supporters refused to go quietly and two seemingly ordinary parents produced one of the most riveting moments of the past two weeks. Here's what we saw on the final night of the Democratic National Convention, and what it means heading into the general election:
Clinton sums it up: Clinton's oratory doesn't hit the heights her husband and President Obama reach, but her speech reflected a less flashy strength: diligence and organization. Every point she made in a carefully constructed, if workmanlike, acceptance, re-emphasized something that had been laid out by speakers before her, reflecting careful coordination in putting this week together. She talked about her legal work helping people in need -- much as Michelle Obama and Bill Clinton had. She echoed Joe Biden's attack on Trump's fitness as commander-in-chief, saying, "a man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons." She assailed Trump's business practices, as Mike Bloomberg had, and accused her rival of "stiffing" people he worked with -- using the same phrasing Gov. Wolf had a couple hours earlier. She assailed Trump's record in Atlantic City, as Cory Booker had Monday. And she asserted "I sweat the details of policy," contrasting her technocratic outline with Trump's grand but vague promises, as Bill Clinton had Tuesday. The speech didn't reveal much new about Clinton, who still needs to better connect with voters on a personal level. Instead, it made a careful case for herself and against Trump, punctuated by numerous made-for-TV sound bites.
Republicans: where'd our message go? With the waving flags, chants of "USA! USA!" a hawkish speech by a general and prominent role for a wounded soldier, you might have been confused about which party was on stage last night. Clinton made an explicit play for Republicans and independents alienated from Trump, building on earlier appeals from President Obama. Clinton even cited Ronald Reagan's "morning in America," warning that Trump only saw "midnight in America." On Twitter, several Republicans saw their message in another's hands, and wondered how they'd reached this point.
Here's the view from a former aide to Newt Gingrich:
Collective vs. Individual: One of the most remarkable aspects of Donald Trump's acceptance speech in Cleveland was how little time he devoted to collective action. Instead, he declared that "I alone" can fix America's problems. Clinton explicitly rejected that approach. Her speech was suffused with "we," "us" and "you." Presidential candidates have typically present themselves as the embodiment of a wider movement. But one of the most stark contrasts of this election pits Clinton's message of togetherness against Trump's bet that America is looking for a singular force -- him.
Uncommon power: There have been many powerful moment and high-wattage speakers at the two conventions these past two weeks, but perhaps the most riveting moment came from Khizr Khan, a Pakistani-born immigrant whose son joined the U.S. Army and was killed while trying to protect fellow soldiers from a car bomb in Iraq. "Have you even read the United States constitution?" Khan challenged Trump, and then pulled a pocket-sized version from his jacket. "I will gladly lend you my copy." But Khan wasn't the only regular person who made a mark these past two weeks. One of the most amazing thing about covering the two conventions was seeing in both places ordinary parents, soldiers, police and others speak to huge crowds with such power and poise.
Did Sanders backers help themselves? Bernie Sanders' supporters have been a potent force this election season and have re-shaped parts of the national debate. But a handful of them did their cause no favors last night when they chanted "no more war" to disrupt speeches by a retired general and a decorated veteran who suffered serious wounds in Afghanistan. To be clear: it was only a fraction of Sanders supporters and dissent is part of the political debate. But winning those debates means convincing others that your cause is appealing and worth joining -- and you wonder if their tactics will accomplish that, or cost them sympathy.
Bill Clinton soaks it up: Free from having to run for office himself, the former president seemed to have as much fun as anyone last night. When Katy Perry started her hit "Roar," he leaped out of his seat like it's the jam he listens to every morning. And when the balloons fell, he and Kaine batted them into the crowd like little kids. Ladies and gentlemen, your 42d president:
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